


An Aspiring Naval Surgeon

by Lenny9987



Series: Lenny's Imagine Claire and Jamie Prompts [48]
Category: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenny9987/pseuds/Lenny9987
Summary: Prompt: I know u usually only do Jamie/Claire stories but I didn't know where else to ask. Could you maybe do a story about Elias Pound not dying and maybe he got so fascinated with Claire's work as a healer he decides he wants to become her apprentice or something?





	An Aspiring Naval Surgeon

The letters came through John who had taken in the slowly recovering sailor as a guest of the governor. After Elias Pound was deemed fit enough to return to his post at sea, they continued to arrive though fewer and farther between. Several reached Claire at once their first spring on the Ridge, and then there were none for several months thereafter before another offered relief that he was in fact still alive. 

“Elias says he’s coming to visit,” Claire exclaimed to Jamie, reading the letter while he unpacked the rest of the crate with supplies from River Run. “He has an extended shore leave coming up and he asks if it would be alright with us if he paid us a visit.”

“Seems a lot of trouble for him to stay a short time and leave again,” Jamie remarked as he turned over some new books to add to his growing stack in the corner. It wouldn’t be much longer before he could put them away properly in his new study. Only a few more weeks of work and they’d be able to move into the big house further up the ridge.

“He doesn’t have family back in England anymore,” Claire explained. “He told me aboard the  _ Porpoise  _ that his mother died years ago. It sounds as though he’s had word that his father’s passed on too. Poor boy. I’ll write him that we’ll be happy to have him.”

Jamie made one of his Scottish noises that Claire understood as reluctant acquiescence. Despite seeing the young sailor laid up at John’s and Claire’s assertions that Elias was a courteous and kind young man, the fact that he was part of the naval hierarchy aboard the ship whose captain had kidnapped Claire was too deep a stain to be so easily washed away.

The big house was finished and the crops were just about ready for harvest when the time of Elias’ visit was finally upon them. 

Jamie vacillated between acting nervous and acting annoyed. 

“What has you so worried?” Claire finally asked. 

“He as one of the king’s men sent to hunt me down,” Jamie reminded her.

“Yes, and their authority doesn’t extend anywhere near this far inland,” Claire reassured him. “Not to mention you have the governor’s encouragement in building this settlement here. You have men nearby who have followed you faithfully before and, I’m sure, would take up arms to protect you if you were truly threatened.”

“He’s English,” Jamie muttered, color rising in his face. “And I ken ye’ll remind me ye’re English too… but ye’re no one of the king’s men. Ye’re my Sassenach.” He leaned into her, kissing her temple and letting the tightening of her arms around him squeeze the tension out of his body and mind. 

A few days later, Duncan Innes arrived from River Run with more supplies and the Frasers’ guest. 

Claire watched Elias climb down from the wagon and assist with unloading the crates rather than take advantage of making his greetings to avoid the work. He moved with a lithe efficiency that belied his military training. She grinned to see the strength that had returned to the young man’s limbs. Whether the newfound slimness of his frame was down to the weight lost during his illness or simply because he’d grown in the past year, she couldn’t be sure without closer examination. 

“Elias Pound, sir,” he introduced himself at last, reaching to shake Jamie’s hand. “You must be Mr. Fraser.”

“Aye. Pleasure to meet ye.”

“Welcome to our home,” Claire greeted him warmly, hugging Elias before he had time to react. “I’m so relieved to see you up on your feet again. I knew from your letters, of course, that you’d made your recovery, but it’s different seeing it in person.”

“I’m only standing here thanks to you, Mrs. Fraser,” he reminded her.

“Claire, please. Come and let’s get you settled and then I’ll give you a tour,” she ushered him up to the house. 

* * *

“Your husband built this?” Elias asked, glancing around the pristine surgery.

Claire nodded. “I haven’t had much occasion to use it yet but I’ve been building my stores and organizing it all.”

“You look as though you have enough here to tend an army,” he joked. “Or an entire ship’s crew.”

“Not likely to come across one of those in the mountains,” she remarked. “How is naval life treating you now you’ve returned to it?”

“I’m afraid I’ve not been able to advance further,” he informed her. “At first it was my recovery and rebuilding my strength… But I find I’ve also lost some of my earlier passion for the work.”

“Losing so many friends on the  _ Porpoise _ …” Claire guessed but Elias shook his head.

“Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that I’ve found myself more intrigued by other the possibility of other pursuits. Being of assistance to you during your time aboard ship—helping you to treat those men and locating the source of the disease among the crew… It was…  _ thrilling _ .”

“Elias, you nearly  _ died _ ,” Claire exclaimed.

“And that only helped me to appreciate what you do all the more. What aid you were able to provide—medically and in terms of comfort when the limits of your medical knowledge were reached—was… enlightening. I have not had the opportunity to feel so useful since I regained my feet. Nor am I likely to while I serve in the British Navy. Unless I’m able to study and train to become a ship’s physician.” He smiled at her with a satisfaction and pride she was sure were reflected on her face.

“That’s… that’s wonderful,” she beamed, crossing to hug him once more and hoping he didn’t mind her clinging to the familiarity she’d adopted while nursing him. “I’m so proud of you. Do you know which of the Navy’s surgeons you’ll be training under?”

“Actually, I won’t be training while I serve. That is, my term of service is over and I’ve decided to take time away to train more thoroughly. If I train while at sea, there will be more limitations to my experience than I might find as a civilian.” Color was rising in his cheeks. He looked away from her and back to the walls and work table of her new surgery. “It’s unlikely, for instance, that I would encounter anyone who knew how to treat a plague like the one we experienced on the  _ Porpoise _ . I should like to train as thoroughly as possible before taking up a new commission in the Navy. I should like—if you’re agreeable—I should like to train with  _ you _ , Mrs. Fraser.”


End file.
